Environmentally Contentious Print Production

We are making a commitment to sustainable production, through our carefully vetted supply chain to the ink we print.

you may be interested to learn more about the key environmental advantages of HP Latex
against eco-solvent technology. We have summarised them in three major sustainability’s pillars: health, economics and environment.

About health:
Let’s be clear: eco-solvent inks (by the way, ‘eco’ comes from economic, not ecological) are by definition made of a solvent vehicle, which can be hazardous and needs to be evaporated and carefully controlled. While we have seen an improvement in the smell of eco-solvent inks, that doesn’t mean that they are safer, and in fact they still carry the ‘dangerous goods’ logos in the cartridges, indicating the risk of health issues for anyone exposed to them. In contrast, our Latex inks are water-based, meaning that the main vehicle is water instead of solvent.

About economics and energy consumption:
Although everybody cares about environmental, the fact is that no one is really willing to pay more for a sustainable print. So when it comes to use more environmental friendly technologies like Latex, we need to make sure it does not cost any extra cent to produce. Energy is a serious topic – we are all looking for ways to make printing more sustainable and energy consumption is part of the environmental foot print of the printer.

About environmental certifications:
This is a very broad topic. At Media Graphics, we make a constant effort to get the certifications and regulatory approvals needed for each market application, to help our customers succeed. Finally, let me say few words about VOC’s, as there is some confusion in the market and many certifications relate to that. VOC’s refer to Volatile Organic Compounds, and are strictly regulated as they have an impact in the quality of the air. And as it happens with the inks, the key point is if they are hazardous or not. If you use perfume every morning, you are emitting VOC’s – but don’t worry, are non-hazardous ones. Our Latex printers do emit a low level of VOC’s (not perfume, of course), but most important they emit ZERO level of hazardous VOC’s (also known as HAPs – hazardous air pollutants).

Following the Latex printers site preparation recommendations, the temperature, emitted water vapour and non-hazardous VOCs are maintained within pleasant comfort levels.